I'm Strong Enough
by Li'l Yahiko
Summary: After the disappearance of his comrades, Shippou was left alone with nothing but the jewel shards, Tetsuaiga, and Kirara to keep him company. Now he's older and stronger, and he's going to find them and save them if it means taking Naraku on alone.
1. To Learn and Grow

_**I'm Strong Enough**_

(Inu Yasha and all related terms are property of Rumiko Takahashi.)

Chapter 1: To Learn and Grow

_A deep ditch appeared with a flash of light before the pawed-feet of the little kitsune. He backed away as quickly as he could to avoid falling in. "Whoa!" He yelped, eyes wide with fear. "This is getting dangerous!" He glanced back at his partners, all working to defeat Naraku's several minions. Inu Yasha was slicing through them with ease using his blade. Kagome destroyed hordes of them with her sacred arrows. Sango and Miroku banned together to destroy the stragglers on the ground._

_Kirara, in her larger form, marched up next to Shippou, leaping the gap in the earth with ease. He looked up at her. "Kirara!"_

_Kirara growled a response. _

_Shippou wriggled his was up onto her back. "Let's get a safe distance away, Kirara. They can handle it without me!" He clutched to her fur as he trembled. "Come on… please…let's just go for a minute…"_

_Kirara didn't seem sure but she lifted into the air and started away from the gruesome battle. _

_"I can't fight very well, so it's better if I'm not in their way," Shippou said, more trying to convince himself than Kirara. _

_Kirara roared, turning around._

_"Huh?" Shippou looked out over the fight now a distance away. "Wh- WHAT IS THAT!" He shouted._

_A light, he thought, or a shadow? It was black, yet staring at it burned his eyes as if looking into the sun. It flickered, then filled the entire area. Kirara zoomed just out of its range, snarling. _

_Suddenly… all was quiet. The black light was gone. The silence… the silence was deafening. _

_Without any consent from Shippou, Kirara rushed back toward the battleground out of worry for her master, Sango._

_Shippou leapt off of her when they reached the ground. The wasteland before him was littered with demon remains, and an ominous fog surrounded the area._

_"Hello?" Shippou called. "I…Inu Yasha?… Kagome?…Miroku? Sango?…" He slowly stepped over pieces of destroyed monsters, squinting his eyes in an attempt to see through the mist. There was no movement except for Kirara behind him and his own movement. "Is anybody there?…" His voice left an eerie echo._

_He walked a few more steps, concentrating on the mist in front of him, when the small pawed foot stepped on something and knocked him on his face. "Ow…" He whimpered, tears forming at the edges of his green eyes. Turning to see what it was that made him lose his balance, he felt his stomach drop and his breathing quit all together._

_"The…" He murmured, picking up the glass vile. "The jewel shards…" Kirara sniffed them curiously. "Kagome?" Shippou called. "KAGOME, ARE YOU HERE!" _

_No response._

_He clutched the jewel shards close to his heart and continued forward. Not too far, a silhouette formed through the fog, though the fox boy was sad to see that it was not a human one._

_Approaching the item, he felt as if his heart had shattered, the pieces puncturing his lungs. "The…" He choked, tears rolling down his cheeks. "The Tetsusaiga…" There it was, it's blade stabbed into the earth with the sheath laying an arm's length away. "Inu Yasha would never leave this the way it is… INU YASHA! WHERE ARE YOU! MIROKU! SANGO! SOMEBODY!"_

Two emerald eyes slipped open. Sunlight beamed through the cutouts of the door and window in the shabby hut.

The young man moaned, rolling on his back and covering his eyes with his hand. He rubbed his face with said hand, then lifted his frame from the pile of hay in the back of the hut. Clambering onto his large, golden pawed feet he stretched out his back. "I've in the woods and been more comfortable."

Large, clawed hands straightened the teal top that hung open just enough and brushed dirt off of the blue pants that were tied off right below the knees so that his furry legs and paws weren't restrained. He yawned, running fingers through orange strands of hair and headed out, snatching the sword leaning against the wall on the way.

Kirara was already outside, poking with her little paws at the ashen spot where his fire had been the night before. "Sorry, Kirara," He told her. "You're still not going to find any food in there."

Kirara mewed sadly.

"Yeah, yeah," He replied. "I know we ran out of rations a week ago…" He leaned out over the edge of the cliff the shabby hut had been placed on. "…and for some reason the hunting's quite bad here…" He smiled a fanged grin. "Wanna go visit home?"

-

The sun had barely made its way over the horizon when Shippou took off on the back of Kirara. It was warm now, but it was breezy and therefore comfortable. He sighed, humming idly as they drifted through the air. "The weather is perfect. There's not a cloud in the sky. A perfect day for travel."

Kirara growled in agreement.

Shippou leaned against her, breathing in the smell of her light-golden fur, the same color as his tail. Her body heat bleeding into his bared chest and cheek made him sleepy. He hadn't slept well the night before, plagued by nightmares of the memories of the past.

There had been no sign of any of his friends, not since that day, but he had not lost hope that they were still alive. He just assumed optimistically that he wasn't looking hard enough. Naraku had been working behind the scenes for most of his life since the disappearance of his comrades, and Shippou hadn't seen him face to face since then either, but he knew that if he got the chance (that is, if he survived if he got the chance) that he'd definitely find out that Naraku had something to do with it. As if that wasn't obvious…

"Huh?" He snapped his eyes open, and he slowly became aware of the fact that he had fallen asleep. The sun had risen higher in the sky that was now bright blue. "Whoops. Sorry, I guess I dozed for a couple of hours, hah-hah… We must be reaching the village by now…" He straightened up and peeked over the cat-demon's head.

There was a large tree in the distance, one that was all to familiar. Just a little farther from the tree was a bunch of ant-sized buildings with tiny lines of smoke rising from them. "Wow… We've made great time, Kirara."

She grumbled.

"Okay, okay," He chuckled, petting her side. "YOU made great time." She purred in response.

Ah, Kirara… his only companion for the past years of constant travel. She was the only acquaintance he was particularly kind to, he sort of hated to admit. It seemed that as he grew older, he lost his stupidity and fear of everything and exchanged it for a slight attitude problem. He seldom smiled unless he was alone, and he often blew up at people over trivial matters. Kaede had claimed that in carrying Inu Yasha's blade he had adopted Inu Yasha's "fiery" spirit. Shippou hadn't been able to respond to that remark snidely since it had hurt too bad to think about his missing friends.

His "fiery spirit" didn't bring him his proudest moments, but he'd learned how to fight, and fight well. He wasn't swinging around toys anymore to use as distractions. No, now he could use his claws and fox-fire like a master, and, even though Tetsusaiga would only let him handle the blade, not transform for him, he'd taught himself how to swing it and fight with it appropriately. He had a dagger hidden in his shirt for last resorts, and he could even bite if he had to. Once he had bit someone so hard that he left deep bloody wounds on his arm. That man… he couldn't even remember what he did anymore…

Kirara landed just outside of the village, and as soon as Shippou clambered off, she transformed back into kitten form. "You coming with me, Kirara?"

She mewed and pranced off.

"Whatever," Shippou sighed, placing his arms into his sleeves. He headed towards Kaede's hut.

It amazed him how the woman could possibly live this long after all the trouble the village had suffered, but he supposed that if one could live off wisdom, that she would live for centuries… and yet, he still had trouble being respectful.

"Hey, grandma," He said, striding inside, smelling lunch over the fire. He could pick out the different scents of the ingredients.

The elderly woman smiled kindly at him. "Young Shippou, it has been a long time. Welcome back."

"Yeah," He nodded, plopping down as she poured a stew into two bowls for each of them. "Just coming back to stock up."

"Oh, do stay and share some lunch with an old lady," She chuckled.

"I never said I wouldn't," He replied, graciously taking the bowl from her. The constant thought in his head was to be polite. He began drinking the stew gratefully. His last meal had been a burned fish that he'd forgotten about when he was practicing with his weapon, and that was two days ago.

"How is your search coming?"

"Not at all," He grumbled bitterly.

Kaede watched him grimly.

"Damn it…" He stared into the stew, feeling his rage start to boil inside of him again. "Sometimes it feels like I'm just wandering around for nothing."

"You are not traveling meaninglessly, young one. As you journey, you learn and grow."

"It doesn't feel that way," He griped. "I don't feel any smarter or bigger than I did yesterday or the day before that or the day before that."

Kaede smiled kindly. "Such things as wisdom and development are gradual, young one. They happen slowly enough that you do not realize it, but the people who do not see you often can see it clearly, like myself."

Shippou stared at her in surprise. "You think I've changed?"

"I think you are changing. You are not yet finished though, child."

He slurped at his soup for a moment, mulling over the words. "How much farther do I have to go?" He queried, raising an eyebrow.

"I think that only you can make that decision, Shippou."

He watched her slowly begin eating her stew, the reflection of the flames flickering in his eyes.

"I think…" He mumbled.

She glanced up.

"I think… that I've got a long journey ahead of me."

"In more ways than one," Kaede added, smiling warmly, "but rest assured that this old lady will be here for assistance as long as her years will keep her here."

Shippou wanted to smile, but somehow, he couldn't muster it.

"My whole life's been one big long road leading to nowhere… or at least that's how it feels right now…"

"You've only just started down the road," Kaede replied. "It will fork soon, and it could be that one or both paths could lead to danger and trouble."

"Well, shit," He chuckled almost pathetically, leaning back against the wall. "It almost makes me want to turn around, but danger awaits me in my past too…" His smile and humor faded, "but… if there's going to be some kind of fight, I just wish it'd happen, so I could get it over with. The quiet spot is driving me crazy."

He set down his empty bowl and stood. "Could you please make me another pack of food? I was going to go… well… I was gonna… explore or something…"

Kaede, knowing where he was actually heading, nodded. "Go on then."

He walked out of the hut into the daylight, feeling more pitiable than when he went in for some reason. Kaede had more faith in him than he himself did.

Shippou wandered out into the woods.

-

Spread out underneath that famous tree, the one Inu Yasha had once been pinned to, he sighed. He stared through half-lidded eyes up at the leaves, bright beams of light penetrating between the spots between each leaf. "Where are you guys…?"

BOOM! The ground trembled beneath him. Shippou jumped to his feet.

"What the hell?" He shouted. _THE TOWN!_ His thoughts raced, but not nearly as fast as his feet caught on. He was the only one around to protect it, and he certainly wasn't going to stand idly by.

(A/N: Yeah! I've revamped the original story and turned it into something worth while! The plot is similar, but there's a lot of differences that you'll soon see. Thanks for reading.)


	2. The Dog Demon, Kichibei

Chapter 2: The Dog-Demon, Kichibei

"…Shit," Shippou murmured, standing at the edge of the village. Screams of terror from the villagers came from everywhere as he stared up at the horrible beast.

The demon was a gigantic… brown dog… "A dog demon?" He questioned aloud, watching him nip at the retreating inhabitants. Several lower level demons of all different sorts swarmed behind him. "…and he brought friends…" A smirk found its way onto the fox-demon's face as he charged into the village. "KIRARA!"

Kirara swooped down and scooped him onto her back, then took off toward the demon that swiped at the houses with massive claws.

The dog demon's red eyes caught sight of Shippou.

"FOX FIRE!" Shippou shouted, swinging his claws in the way Inu Yasha would have had he been fighting. The demon dodged easily and growled at him.

Shippou stood on Kirara's back, then leapt off.

Kirara let out a howl of alarm as he tumbled through the sky and onto the demon's back. "YO!" He shouted, jamming his claws into the dog-demon's back.

The dog roared, swinging its head around and snatching Shippou up into its jaws. Shippou yelped, trying desperately to free himself.

Kirara flew at the monster, ready to gash his eyes out. The demon used his nose to bat her aside, though she managed to get a scratch across said nose beforehand.

"Bastard! Let me go!" Shippou shouted, seeing spots. He shut his eyes, and allowed his body to glow with fox fire. "You don't listen well!"

Letting loose every bit of his energy, he blasted himself free from the grasp of the beast, shattering at least three of his sharp, pointed teeth on the way out.

Shippou fell and hit the ground hard, sliding through the dirt.

"Ow…" He groaned, spitting out dirt and blood. His clothing had been ripped along with some of his now bloody skin. "_but if there's going to be some kind of fight, I just wish it'd happen, so I could get it over with. _I need to be careful what I wish for."

He pulled himself to his feet only long enough to fall over again when the ground shook under the weight of the approaching demon.

Shippou shouted a particularly fowl obscenity. "I don't have any energy left to hit him with fox fire!" He stumbled to his feet and backed up. "What the hell do I do?"

The dog-demon snarled at him, and Shippou swore he was smiling. He cracked his knuckles, staring him down with as much seriousness as he could muster. _I'll never beat him with my claws alone, much less a dagger… and it's not like I can actually use Tetsusaiga. The only reason it even lets me carry it is because I promised on my death to get it back to its master…_His eyebrows furrowed, a new determination edging into him. _That's why I can't die here._

"I've got to think of something to…" He stared up at the monster and shrugged. "Oh, what the hell?" With that he charged him, swinging back his claw. _Hmm…I wonder if I could do that move that Inu Yasha used to do…_

The dog-demon bellowed, charging toward Shippou. His long legs brought him closer to his prey more quickly.

Shippou buried his claw into a wound on his arm and leapt into the air. "Please work…" He swung it out, hoping and praying for success. "Blades of blood!" He shouted, and red lines swung from his claws and gouged at the demon's eyes and face. "Yeah! ALL RIGHT!" Shippou cried, descending while the demon howled in pain, shaking his head. "Whoa!" He exclaimed, flopping down upon Kirara's back. "HEY! You okay?"

Kirara cooed a reply. Shippou petted her fur, crusted with bits of blood both his and hers. "I wish I had a sharper blade to fight with… Damn! He's recovering!"

A swarm of demons attacked Shippou, sending him plummeting to the ground. "YAAH!" He screamed, landing on his hands and flipping into a kneeling position. He felt tears at the edge of his eyes from the severity of the landing on his already injured arms. He winced but forced himself to ignore the pain. "I definitely have to be careful what I wish for from now on. BACK OFF!" He clawed at each small demon, with no other choice but to take them down one by one.

An arrow soared through the air, taking down several of them. Shippou was frozen by surprise and turned to see who had shot it, in the back of his mind hoping that it was Kagome and he was waking up from a long dream.

It wasn't Kagome, but Kaede, and even though he was disappointed, he couldn't say that he was glad to have her assistance. There was a ghastly wound on her forehead, and other scratches along her body and clothing as well.

"Hey, Grandma! You holding out all right?" He called to her as she fired another arrow and readied another one.

"I wonder what this demon is after," She told him as he ran up to assist her.

"Not a clue," He said, slashing down a few more demons. "Probably the same thing these guys are after… Me."

"After you?" She asked.

"Certainly seems that way, but then again, I was the only fighting them, ah!" He placed his hand over his shoulder wound. "Stupid teeth…" He swung more crimson blades at them. "Kirara!"

Kirara was next to him in a moment.

"Is everyone safe?"

She nodded.

"Good. Give me a hand with these guys, right?"

Kirara took off, biting and slashing at every moving object.

"Grandma, your help is appreciated, but it's too dangerous, I think," Shippou told her. "It'd be best if you protect the villagers from any stragglers."

"But it is not safe for you on your own either, child. You are wounded badly."

"I'll be fine. I'm not alone. I have Kirara."

"You don't stand a chance," Another voice called, making Shippou turn.

"Who are you?" He asked in amazement.

The enormous animal was gone, replaced with a more human-like body.

"One higher than you in ranking, obviously," The voice said as the man stepped forward.

His hair was a ratty, light-brown mess, pushed behind pointed ears. His golden eyes glared Shippou down, three purple stripes similar to the dog-demon's upon each cheek. He wasn't wearing a shirt, only purple pants and black boots. In his belt he held a sword of elaborate design, the sheath and hilt incrusted with sparkling jewels. His ears and neck held similar jewels.

Shippou glared at him. "What's your name, sparkle-and-shine?"

"Kichibei," He stated heatedly. "I already know your name, Shippou."

"Huh? You know me?"

"No…" He stared at him blankly for a moment, then smiled, flipping his hair back. "My master does. I get a throne if I get rid of you, not because you're a threat, but because you're a nuisance."

"Who's your master?" Shippou asked.

"Wow, you're dumber than he said you were… and he said you were pretty dumb to begin with," He laughed flinging a clawed hand on his wrist. "Forget it. It won't matter. I came to get those jewel shards," He pointed at Shippou's neck, "and I'm not leaving without them."

"Then you're not leaving," Shippou said confidently through a toothy smirk while cracking his knuckles. He couldn't help but think about how Kaede had told him how much he was like Inu Yasha at that moment.

"You're as shabby as your sword. You think you can talk to me like you're better than me?" Kichibei wrinkled his nose at him. "Disgusting little fox."

"You're pissing me off!" Shippou yelled, rushing him.

Kichibei drew his weapon. There was a red jewel at the base of the blade on both sides.

"Bring it on, scum!" Kichibei shouted.

Kichibei's blade clipped Shippou's hurt shoulder as he dodged the weapon and knocked the feet out from under the jeweled demon.

"AH!" Kichibei yelped, falling on his back.

"You're tough in your giant form, but you're pretty clumsy this way," Shippou said, smirking.

Kichibei leapt at him, his anger getting the best of his sense. "Don't talk down to me!" He shouted, slashing at Shippou's chest with his blade. The jewels on each side of the blade glowed, and the weapon became longer and hit his torso.

Shippou shouted in pain, placing his hand over the deep red gash. _I'm losing too much blood. How can I fight a weapon that makes itself long enough to reach me? _

"What's the matter? Not so cocky anymore, are you?" Kichibei laughed. Unlike other dog-demons he had encountered, all of Kichibei's teeth were sharp and pointed.

Shippou narrowed his eyes and flung blades of blood at him again. Kichibei blocked them with his sword that grew wider to take every blow.

"Give up your shards now, fox. Unless you can sneak up on me, you can't win against this sword. Naraku made it especially for me."

"Naraku?" Shippou gasped. His stomach and heart had felt like they switched places. "You work for Naraku?"

Kichibei turned around and showed the kitsune his spider mark on his back. "As if I hadn't already made it obvious."

Shippou growled.

"What's the matter?" Kichibei asked, getting back into stance. "Starting to realize how against the odds you are?"

"Don't count me out yet. Foxes bite when they're cornered," Shippou replied, cracking his knuckles again.

Kichibei began to approach him. "Just die," He said, slashing Shippou in half.

Shippou made a pop noise and turned to smoke and leaves.

"HUH!" Kichibei exclaimed.

"UP HERE!" Shippou shouted descending from the sky, slamming his claws into Kichibei's shoulders. Blood spurted from the five wounds on each trouble, leaving spray on Shippou's face and in his hair as the two fell to the ground. "Fox demons on the other hand use magic and illusions. _As if I hadn't already made it obvious._"

"Bastard!" Kichibei hissed, shoving his blade into Shippou's side. Shippou stumbled off of him, holding the ghastly wound tenderly. He was beginning to feel woozy; his vision was distorted.

An arrow sang in the air and jammed itself into Kichibei's already blood shoulder. Kichibei turned his head in a jerky, robotic way, looking at it as if it couldn't have been possible.

Kaede was readying another arrow a distance away, looking very angry.

"Old wench," Kichibei murmured through gritted teeth. His blade grew longer and slithered through the air like a snake. "DIE!"

"GRANDMA! GET OUT OF HERE!" Shippou screamed.

It was too late.

Shippou felt sick and wanted to look away, but somehow he couldn't move. The blade jabbed right into her heart.

"At least you got one good hit in, eh, old lady?" Kichibei asked, grinning wickedly.

Shippou charged him. "I'LL KILL YOU ELEVEN TIMES OVER!" He shouted, his eyes red with hurt and rage. His thoughts had left him, his mind settled on only one thing.

Kichibei's blade returned to its normal form, and he began using it to block Shippou's wild claws.

Tears spread across Shippou's face, washing away lines of blood. They dripped pink off of his face. Shippou howled out, a noise that he couldn't identify as crying or screaming. It held every emotion he was feeling at that very moment and spoke out for everything he couldn't say.

"What are you mad at me for?" Kichibei asked, as if Shippou was acting irrationally. "Weren't you supposed to protect that old witch?"

Shippou froze, hurt spreading over his face. He had a point.

Kichibei pulled the arrow out of his shoulder and stared at the point for a moment before throwing it down. "You know, if you couldn't even save her, how are you ever going to save Inu Yasha?"

Shippou paled and took in a ragged breath.

A scythe soared through the air on a chain and wrapped around Kichibei, forcing him to drop his weapon.

Shippou stared at Kichibei, lip quivering.

"What the hell is this all about?" Kichibei yelled, trying to break free.

"Leave him alone," A strong voice commanded from the trees. A shadow of a man appeared at the edge and stepped into the sunlight, wearing black and green demon-slayer armor. His hair was pulled up into a ponytail that hung down to his shoulders, and his dark, slender eyes never left Kichibei.

"It's…you…" Shippou whispered, unbelieving.

Kohaku pulled at his weapon, taking Kichibei for a spin, quite literally.

Kichibei held his head dizzily once he was free from the scythe's grasp.

Kohaku had grown tall with large shoulders, and his face no longer held freckles. "Don't let him get inside your head!" He yelled at Shippou.

Shippou couldn't let him get inside his head anymore, mainly because he couldn't even put his own thoughts together. _Kaede… dead… blood loss… the blade… dog… demon… demon-slayer… Kohaku?… fight… villagers… Inu Yasha… can't save…_

Kichibei snatched up his weapon. "HEY! Human-boy! I thought you were on my side!"

"I don't give into to Naraku so easily anymore," Kohaku replied simply but strongly. "He can't keep hold on my mind forever."

Kichibei shrugged. "I don't really care. If you're a nuisance to me, I'll cut the jewel shards out of your back and get rid of you too."

Kohaku's eyes narrowed. "You…"

Kichibei readied his weapon but froze as if someone was speaking to him. "I see, sir… Yes…" He spoke to no one. He sighed dejectedly and pouted. "Yes, sir."

Kohaku glared at him.

"Sorry I can't stick around for the party, but I've got another appointment. You got lucky, human-boy." He snapped his fingers and the horde of lower-levels swooped underneath him and took him away.

Shippou felt his vision leave him as he fell, the last sight being a fuzzy image of the ground.

(A/N: Yay! Chapter 2! I hope you love or love to hate Kichibei. He kind of created himself without me knowing. I hadn't planned on introducing him at all, much less in the second chapter, but here he is! I personally think he's a pretty cool villan for Shippou, kind of like Inu Yasha's Sesshoumaru with Kouga's attitude, and he's pretty mean right now, but he'll gain more dimension as the story progresses.Plus, Kohaku's here! w00t, for Kohaku! Hope you enjoyed reading. I'll update asap.)


	3. Acceptance

Chapter 3: Acceptance

Shippou awoke to realize his left eye was unable to open currently because of swelling. He focused his vision in his right eye to find there was a roof over his head.

"You're awake. That's good."

Shippou lifted himself into a sitting position and stared weakly at his companion in the room. "Kohaku," He said in wonder.

Kohaku was sitting Indian-style and scratching kitten-form Kirara under the chin. He looked up and laid his hands in his lap. "You've been out for about four hours. I took the liberty of tending to your wounds and sewing up the holes in your clothes."

Shippou looked down at himself to see his stomach and chest wrapped with bandages, along with his arms. His left arm was in a sling. Though the blankets covered his lower body, he could feel bandages on his legs too. There were bindings around his forehead too. His clothing was folded neatly and left next to his bed.

"Kichibei…" Shippou mumbled as he began to piece the thoughts together.

"He's disappeared. There's been no sign of him since he left."

"G…grandma…" His eyes burned, his left eye especially painful.

"The villagers have buried her. If you wish, I shall assist in dressing you, and I can take you to her."

Shippou nodded weakly.

-

A gravestone had not yet been created, but the villagers had left flowers, and some still lingered, shedding their last tears. The wisest and most respected woman in the village had died saving them, so why wouldn't they be sad?

Shippou limped toward the grave, with Kohaku keeping a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Putting his pants on had been extremely difficult, and it had been decided that it be best that he just place the shirt over his shoulders, and so he did.

"I'm sorry…" He said when he reached the grave after a moment of silence. "I should… have been able to protect you…"

Kohaku stroked Kirara's head while she perched on his shoulder, mewing sadly.

"Your life was taken because I was reckless," Shippou said, tears slipping freshly down his cheeks. "I hope you can forgive me. I hope that you rest in peace and… I will make sure that your sacrifice was not in vain…"

"Maybe we should go back," Kohaku said quietly.

"No," Shippou waved him back.

Kohaku respected his wishes.

"I…" Shippou began again. "I remember what you said to me before… that as I journey I learn and grow… I'm not happy about it… but perhaps this is one of those experiences that will help me to continue learning and growing… and I'll take every lesson you've ever taught me to heart and work hard to make a legacy out of myself and you… and I swear on my life that someday… Inu Yasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango… will be here to put flowers on your grave… and so will I."

Kohaku hung his head and sighed. "I've placed flowers on her grave as well… in your place… I didn't know when you were going to awaken."

"Thank you," Shippou nodded, then smiled, "but you've missed my point. When I lay flowers on this grave, I want my friends to be here with me."

Kohaku gave a slight smile.

Kirara hopped to Shippou's shoulder, and he scratched her head with his right hand. "This hasn't brought me down too much. If anything, it's made me more determined, and I'll be damned if I'm going to shack up and cry for eternity because she would've wanted me out there saving her loved ones… my loved ones…"

Kohaku was quiet. A breeze traveled through the area and died away.

"Kohaku…" Shippou said.

"Yes?"

"What…" He turned around and raised an eyebrow, "are you doing here?"

"Passing through," Kohaku shrugged. "I heard a disturbance and came to see what was going on. I hadn't expected to find Kichibei though."

"He's one of Naraku's cohorts. I should have expected him to be a good fighter, I guess… I'm going to have to train much harder."

"Kichibei is not too difficult if he's in human form. It's his blade that will be your downfall."

"Or his bite when he's a gigantic dog," Shippou replied.

"You'll just have to remember not to drop down to his level. He has the tendency to get cocky and not think clearly, and he's not exactly light on his feet all the time."

"So, where are you heading?"

"Not anywhere in particular," Kohaku shrugged. "Why?"

"Well, I thought maybe we could team up for awhile. It's better not to train alone, I would think."

"I cannot. As much as I would like to, I have to avoid interaction with others unless absolutely necessary. I have no idea when Naraku will grab hold of my mind again, and until I can completely fight back against his control, I must be alone."

Shippou nodded and smiled. "I understand. Find me when you need any help at all and I'll be there. I'm in debt to you now."

Kohaku bowed. "Indeed I will."

Shippou turned so that he was completely facing him. "Don't bow to me! I'm not that special!"

The two laughed.

"I must be off," Kohaku stated as soon as he had settled down. "Do you need my help back into the village?"

"No, I have Kirara to help me. See you."

"Yes, hopefully soon, with good news!" Kohaku chimed, walking back into the woods whence he came, holding a waved hand of goodbye above his head.

"Come Kirara, let's go get some food."

She mewed in agreement.

-

A week went by, and there was no sign of Kichibei, or anyone else. The villagers had begun to rebuild what was destroyed, and despite his injuries, Shippou did his best to help out, as did Kirara.

Night had fallen, and Shippou had found himself holding to his arm and biting his lip after he had tripped over Tetsusaiga and fallen on it.

"Why won't this damned thing heal already?" He moaned after a string of several other colorful words. He rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling of Kaede's hut, now his. He sighed, grumbling to himself as the pain gradually subsided; well, either that, or he got used to the pain.

Shippou knew his arm probably **_would_** have been healed by now, had he not attempted to use it so many times in lifting things to help the villagers. He sighed again. Man, he really was a fool… a proud, boisterous fool overconfident in his abilities… Man, he really was like Inu Yasha!

Kirara pranced in from her hard day at work and sat by the fire, licking her paw.

Shippou found himself glaring at Tetsusaiga, since after all, it was the OBJECT'S fault that he fell, even if he was the one who had leaned it against the wall when he left and didn't bother to check to see if it fell down when he came in.

He slowly pulled himself into a sitting position and used his uninjured arm to start preparing dinner and setting it out over the fire. That one move had really set him into a bad mood… Maybe not…

He felt angry, but it was a kind of feeling that was masking his loneliness. When he was younger, Kagome would always fix any boo-boos that he managed to obtain, and the wounds now were a constant reminder that she wasn't there to kiss it and make it better. Sure, he knew that kiddy stuff wasn't true, but it sure was when he was a child, and he'd give anything for that again.

Shippou watched solemnly as dinner cooked over the fire. He clutched Tetsusaiga tightly, keeping it leaning over his shoulder. The fire was warm, almost too warm it seemed, burning into his eyes, into his soul. Each dancing flicker commanded his attention.

"Kirara…" He summoned, and she plopped into his lap. He released Tetsusaiga and stroked her fur. "What do you say tomorrow we get moving, hum?"

Kirara mewed, moving her head around the palm of his hand. Shippou smiled slightly and sighed.

"I guess that answers me then…"

-

The next day, the villagers helped him pack up everything he might need and tie it to Kirara. He hoisted himself onto Kirara and, after saying his goodbyes, took off into the sky.

It was a bit cloudy out that day, but it was fairly cool, so Shippou didn't much mind. He sighed contentedly and stared out at the horizon. It seemed to go on forever, even with the hills.

"Let's travel south this time, Kirara," Shippou suggested. "We've searched all over the west."

Kirara agreed and changed her course.

Shippou in the meantime pulled his sling loose and off. No time like the present, he figured, and he needed to get his arm working again. It had healed quite a bit, but not as fast as he would have liked it to.

"Ah," He winced as he straightened it out and moved the fingers. Pain surged up through his arm, and he almost doubled over. "Don't think you're going to get the better of me…" He continued to flex his arm: bending it at the elbow joint, turning it at the shoulder, wiggling the fingers.

Kirara made a growl that sounded almost like a sigh. Shippou was always hopeless.

Shippou used his other hand to grip into his leg tightly, doing anything to distract him from his arm pain. He had to fix it or get used to it, and he didn't have time to wait.

A particularly painful shot traveled up his bones when he turned his arm a certain way, and he fell against Kirara's neck, shouting obscenities that surely would have gotten him in trouble as a child.

As it began to subside, he hissed through his teeth and blinked back the spots in his eyes. He hung his arm limp at his side and didn't move for a long period of time.

"…stupid arm…" He finally said.

-

There was a clearing among the deep forest thick with foliage that Shippou had found from the air. With civilization miles and miles from where he was and the sun almost gone in the horizon, Kirara and he settled for sleeping outside with a fire to keep them warm.

It had been two or three weeks since he left the village, and finally every wound Kichibei had given him had healed… well, except for the one on his pride.

Shippou hopped up onto a nearby branch of a tree and used his arms to cushion his head as he reclined against the base. The fire was simmering out, leaving a thin line of smoke trailing up through the trees and grabbing at the stars. Kirara had eaten the fish he had caught at the nearby stream, curled up, and gone to sleep about an hour ago, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

_"You know, if you couldn't even save her, how are you ever going to save Inu Yasha?" _Kichibei's voice growled in his ears.

Shippou shook his head, trying to get rid of the thoughts. That damned dog had gotten under his skin with that little comment. He didn't say anything to Kirara about it, but it constantly haunted his dreams and thoughts. Several nights he had slept restlessly or not at all.

Shippou switched the fishbone he had in his mouth from one corner to the other with his tongue. Chewing on something helped distract him a bit. He closed his eyes and tried to rest. Days of constant travel with no excitement really bothered him sometimes. He wasn't hoping to fight again anytime soon of course, but… well, it would have been nice to have another voice to respond to… Kirara was a rather quiet companion, after all. It was too bad Kohaku hadn't decided to come with him. They'd met up a few times on the path before he'd saved him from Kichibei, but most of the time Kohaku wasn't in the mood to talk even if they walked together for a little while. He was usually going in the opposite direction anyways.

He was beginning to wish he'd gone to civilization by this point. Campsites in the woods were a grim reminder of how things used to be. Plus, there had to be someone else awake in the godforsaken cities, somebody to talk to.

It was a foolish thought really… most of the time the villages wouldn't let him in since he wasn't human. Why did there have to be so many bad demons out there that tarnished the reputations of the good ones? It was aggravating to no end. Human villages wouldn't let him in and the few demon villages were too creepy for him to sleep soundly since he was constantly being robbed there. Maybe he was just stuck in the middle… between demons and humans… just like Inu Yasha was…

Shippou leaned forward and hugged his knees, hiding his face from the world… this horrible, hateful world that he no longer belonged in. What did he do to deserve it? He wouldn't have minded not being accepted among society, but why were his friends taken from him to leave him completely alone?

He had to get them back… He had to prove to that damned dog that he was stronger than he gave him credit for… He'd start by getting rid of that jeweled-up demon scum.


	4. The Little Girl Named Kagome

Chapter 4: The Little Girl Named Kagome

"Ooh…"

Giggles…

"Hello?"

A small fist knocked upon Shippou's forehead.

"Huh?" He blinked open his eyes sleepily. "What?" He focused his vision.

"Hee-hee! Good morning!" A little girl with dark brown braids down each side of her head hovered over him.

"WAAGH!" He yelled, tumbling out of the tree he was sleeping in. "WHAT THE HELL!"

The little girl clambered out of the tree and brushed off her teal kimono. "Hee-hee, you're funny."

Shippou crawled out of the bushes and crouched in front of her, sniffing her curiously. "Little human girl…"

She flicked his nose and fell into a fit of giggles.

Shippou threw his hands over his nose. "OW! What'd you do that for?"

"What's your name?" She asked innocently, blinking her large blue eyes up at him.

He stared at her for a moment. "Uh… it's Shippou…" What was a little human girl like her doing out in the woods?

"Nice to meet you," She said, bowing to him.

"Uh… yeah… what are you doing out here?" He asked, sitting down on the ground and scratching his head.

"I was just walking," She replied sweetly. "I saw your kitty drinking from the stream, and I followed her back here."

"Oh… okay…" He mumbled, "but what were you doing in the woods in the first place?"

"A big giant bird carried me away," She chimed. "I can't find my way back home."

_A giant bird? It must have been a demon…She's one lucky girl to escape one, but surely she would have been more afraid, right?_

"Weren't you scared?" He asked, getting to his feet.

"Not really," She replied. "You have cute feet, Mr. Shippou."

"Err… thank…you?" He lifted his eyebrow. "Well, either way, how about I get you home?"

"You can help me get home? That would be just wonderful, Mr. Shippou!" She hugged his leg. "I didn't see any other villages when I was being carried away, so I guess it should be easy to find, but how do we get there?"

He smiled. "Kirara, of course."

On cue, Kirara, who had been sitting in front of the remnants of the fire, transformed into her larger form.

The little girl gasped in amazement.

"Don't be afraid. I'll hold onto you and make sure you won't fall, okay?"

She waited for Shippou to get on, and then he helped her up in front of him. "Which direction did you come from?"

"That way," She said, pointing to the south.

"Well, that happens to be the way I'm going too," He smiled at her and placed his clawed hands on her tiny shoulders to keep her steady. "Let's go, Kirara."

_I'm being eerily nice to this little girl… not like I shouldn't or anything… I mean, she was lost… but something about her makes me smile…_

-

"It's so pretty from up here, Mr. Shippou!" The little girl squealed. "Look at that cloud! It looks like Kirara!"

Little kids had quite an imagination. He couldn't see it at all, but he decided to humor her. "Yeah, it does!"

"Hey! There's my house!" She sang, pointing downward.

A good-sized village sat below with several different sized homes but nothing was that of poverty. "Wow…" He exclaimed. "Classy. Kirara, take us down."

She obeyed him and landed at the edge of the village.

All of the people bustled about doing whatever it was they needed to. The little girl took his hand and smiled up at him. "Thank you for bringing me back home, Mr. Shippou."

That smile…

"By the way, my name is Kagome!"

He felt his chest tighten at the sound of the name… How ironic… Her smile had reminded him of Kagome all along and come to find out that it was her name…

"Well, n-nice to meet you, K-Kagome," He mumbled, kneeling down next to her and tousling her hair. "I guess… I'd better g-get going, huh…"

"No!" She cried, holding tight to his hand. "Please don't go yet!"

He stared down at her. "What?"

"Can't you… at least walk me home?" There were tears in her eyes… He felt like he was the one who should have been crying.

"Yeah…" He said within a sigh. "I guess I can do that…"

"Thank you, Mr. Shippou!"

He got back on his feet and, holding her hand, followed her through the village. His thoughts were elsewhere. He didn't even notice the villagers staring at him, some with fear, others with disgust. Kirara mewed on his shoulder in kitten form.

_I believe Kagome would have liked this girl… _He thought, smiling solemnly. _Yeah… I'm sure she would have liked her a lot… I can only imagine the situation if it had been all of us… Kagome would pester Inu Yasha to help get the little girl home…He would be angry at first, even if it was his intention all along…_

"Mr. Shippou!" She squealed.

"What? Huh?" He snapped out of his daze.

"We're here," She told him, pointing to the average-sized house behind her. She gasped.

"What is it?"

"You've got tears on your face, Mr. Shippou! Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself or something?"

"What? Oh…" He ran his fingers along his cheek to find it wet. "No… I was just thinking about something sad…"

"My mommy always kisses my boo-boos to make them feel better… but…" She trailed off. "Mr. Shippou?"

"Hum?"

"Can you kiss a memory or a bad dream?" She asked.

He was silent. Children… were amazing… "I… don't know…" He shrugged, smiling a little.

"KAGOME!"

Shippou looked up out of habit, knowing deep down that he wasn't going to see the girl with the green skirt, staring at who had called her name.

"DADDY!" Kagome cried, running and leaping into his arms.

The man looked just like her, but with his hair pulled into a long ponytail that fell down to his waist. He wore a deep-blue kimono. "Are you all right, Kagome?" He asked frantically, checking her over for scratches and bruises.

"I'm fine, Daddy," She replied innocently.

He glared at Shippou as if he had been the one to kidnap the girl.

Shippou just stared blankly back at him, his tail twitching a bit.

"We thought we'd never see you again," Her dad grew teary-eyed, and he threw his arms around her and sobbed into her tiny shoulder. "Daddy, did you hurt yourself?"

"No, Kagome… I'm crying because I'm happy."

"Oh, okay!" She giggled. "Sorry I didn't come back sooner, but if it weren't for Mr. Shippou, I probably wouldn't have come back at all! Can he stay with us for dinner, Daddy?"

The man looked up at Shippou. "Um… please… you don't have to serve me anything… I mean… I don't want anything from you except to know that she's okay and safe now… I'm not like most demons. I like humans… especially ones like her." He felt his eyes burn again.

The man's eyes narrowed. "You can stay… but I don't trust you, so I've got my eye on you."

Shippou bowed. "Thank you."

"Yay! Mr. Shippou is staying!" Kagome cheered. "You'll love it, Mr. Shippou. Mommy's food is the best!"

He slowly walked into the yard and followed them into the house.

-

Dinner was delicious. Honestly, it had been the best eats he'd had in a long, LONG time, though the glares of Kagome's parents from across the table were a bit unsettling.

By the time he had finished eating, the sky had gone dark. He had tried to leave, but Kagome had begged her parents to let him stay the night. With her big, teary eyes, how could he not?

Kirara was asleep in the room, curled up on his futon. He himself couldn't sleep and had gone out onto the porch and sat outside, staring up at the moon.

Shippou sighed, leaning his head against the banister next to him.

"Mr. Shippou…"

He looked up. "Kagome!" He exclaimed.

The little girl stood before him in her yukata, her hair wavy strands down her back. She wiggled her toes a little and smiled. "Hello."

"What are you doing up, huh? It's awful late, isn't it?"

She sat down next to him. "I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize, for what? You didn't do anything."

"I know… but my mommy and daddy… they were really rude to you… but I thought that maybe if I told you, you could understand…"

"Huh?"

She smiled solemnly. "There's a reason the people here don't like demons. You see… that demon that took me away comes here a lot. The big bird takes away a bunch of children. Every time we all think it's never coming back, it does… I knew that the children taken away never came back, so I wriggled my way free of the birds feet… I think they call them… talons?"

Shippou stared at her in amazement. "Children are taken away?"

"Yeah. If you keep them inside, that monster will rip the roof off of houses. Most of the people have gotten so used to it that they don't care as long as it's not their child this time… but my mommy and daddy are different, see… because my big sister was already taken away, and that was just last month."

"Shouldn't you be afraid and hate demons too then?" He asked, trying to avoid the subject of missing people.

"I don't… I only hate the one who took my sister away… I know they're not all like that… and I knew when I saw you that I could trust you… because you had an innocent face."

He put his arm around her and pulled her next to him, stroking her hair. "You're a sweet little girl…"

"The worst part is, that wasn't the first demon. A time before, a demon came one time, a ferocious one. He was the scariest demon anyone had ever seen, and they all tried to kill that demon because he was destroying their homes… but they didn't see it… They didn't realize that he wasn't killing anyone… they didn't see that deep within his angry eyes lay some sort of sadness… He was searching for something, but I don't know what… apparently he found it because he left, and he never came back…"

She snuggled down against Shippou's tail that had wrapped around her. "Demons aren't bad, I know… it's humans who are bad, I think… well… no… I just think there are a few bad humans and a few bad demons out there, and the only way their like that is because they met the wrong kind of person."

"It's good that someone sees it from that perspective… but truth is, some demons are just bad, just like humans. There are no reasons behind it. It's just the way it is… but I can tell you this much… I've seen many a bad demon or human, but I never associated with them. I was always trying to fight the good fight, even when I was your age… I was just trying to help my friends."

"Where are your friends now?"

"I wish I knew…"

"Is that the thought that made you sad earlier, Mr. Shippou? Your friends?"

"…Yeah… my friends are missing just like your sister… I'm trying to find them…"

"Oh…" She said in wonder.

"Did you know?… Well, you couldn't have but… one of my friends' names was Kagome."

She stood up and slowly turned his face towards hers. Before he could say anything, she leaned up and kissed his forehead. "I don't think it'll work… but I can try… I want to make it better…"

He took her in his arms and squeezed her a bit. "You don't have to do that. My memories are happy ones. You see, I'm an adult, as much as I'd hate to admit it. I have to learn to keep going even if I'm sad. Good memories of ones lost help me, but what helps me most of all is… no matter what… I always have hope that I'm one day going to see them again."

Her eyes glittered in amazement. "Then I'll do it too! I'll remember the happy times with my sister, and I know she'll come back!"

He smiled. "We'll hope together, whether we're close or far apart, deal?" He held out his clawed hand.

"DEAL!" She chirped, placing her tiny hand in his. He remembered when his hands were that small… when they were even tinier.

They shook hands. "All right then, I suppose you should be off to bed now." He said, getting to his feet. "And me too."

"Yeah!" She nodded, then paused. "Hey… do you hear something?… It's the wind right? It's whistling, but it's not blowing."

Shippou stared out at the sky for a moment, when it suddenly struck him as to what that sound actually was.

"GET DOWN!" He shouted, scooping her into his arms and throwing himself on top of her just as the roof of the porch was ripped away.

Kagome was screaming.

Shippou looked up at the beast before him, twice his size with wings that blocked the moon. "You've come back for her now, have you? Well you're going to have to get through me."


	5. On the Road Again

Chapter 5: On the Road Again

A demon bird… It was exactly what Shippou had expected all along. It held long black feathers over its entire body, had beady red eyes and a long yellow beak. It cawed, rattling the house slightly.

Shippou got to his feet instantly and shoved Kagome behind him. "I'll hold him off. Get out of here."

"-but…" She began.

"Go!" He shouted.

She took off down the porch and around the corner.

Shippou didn't waste any time. Jumping hard to hoist him into the air, he went for the eyes.

The beast flapped its massive wings, sending him flying backward from the wind shear and crashing through the roof of his room.

Kirara got to her feet and transformed. Shippou hopped onto her back. "Let's go!" He cried, and she took to the air through the hole in the ceiling.

The bird swung its wing down and Kirara dodged the blast of wind. Maneuvering around quickly, she sank her teeth into the wing.

The bird called out as Shippou clambered onto its back. "You bastard. How dare you kill off these innocent kids!" He shouted, pulling his dagger out of his shirt and ramming it into the bird's back. He slipped it out quickly and dug it into another spot.

The giant dive-bombed to the ground. Kirara had mauled its wing beyond use. Shippou flipped off of the back of the beast, landing on the ground on his hands. He flipped again and landed on his feet.

"Good work, Kirara," He said, cracking his knuckles. "I think I'll take it from here."

Kirara flew up into the sky and disappeared from sight. Shippou had no reason not to believe she'd be back later, and he had more important things to do than ask her where she was going at this moment.

His claws lit with fox fire, and he swung his hand back and then forth, slashing the monster to pieces. "Too easy!" He shouted, grinning.

The beast howled as life was lifted from it and then went quiet. After a moment or two, it turned to dust.

"Gotcha," Shippou said, straightening himself out. "Huh?"

There in the dust glinted a glittering jewel shard. He knelt down and lifted it up.

"A weakling like you worked for Naraku?… or maybe you just swallowed it up," He commented, raising an eyebrow. He sighed and placed it in the canister around his neck.

Shippou turned and looked up at the house. "I… really hope I don't get in trouble for that."

-

Morning arrived and Kirara had still not returned. Shippou would have looked for her, but the town was too caught up in celebrating him as their hero. The men tried to drag him to bars or whorehouses or wherever, but he'd managed to avoid any sort of thing like that. The women made him several fancy foods or clothes or anything else, but he couldn't accept their offer for slaughtering a weakling demon like that. He couldn't even imagine how pathetic it was without the jewel shard…

No, the one offer he couldn't refuse was to spend the day playing with Kagome and her friends… Unfortunately, he was no match for a bunch of children and found himself underneath a dog pile.

"Your friend is funny, Kagome-chan!" One of the little girls giggled. "He's like a big kitty!"

"I'll have you know that foxes are part of the canine family!" Shippou yelped as a little boy pulled his tail. "Ow! Stop it!"

The children squealed with delight.

Kagome knelt down in front of him. "Mr. Shippou, what happened to your kitty?"

"Not a clue," He responded truly, grinning. "She'll be back."

She beamed a cute smile at him.

As if on cue, a roar echoed out from the edge of the village.

Some of the children screamed in fear, not knowing what it was. Shippou got to his feet and turned towards the entrance. His features softened.

Kirara was looking rather worn out… all the children on her back must have been heavy.

The whole town was in awed silence as Shippou approached.

Kirara knelt down and the little boys and girls clambered off.

Shippou felt Kagome tug at his pants leg. He looked down at her, watching the other children. Her eyes were glittering with tears… She took a deep breath. "I can't believe it…"

A young girl, older than Kagome climbed off last. Her brown hair was pulled back in one braid, and she wore a purple kimono.

"Sister!" Kagome cried, running to her and jumping into her arms.

"I don't even understand…" Shippou laughed, tears brimming his eyes. "I thought it ate them or something…"

Kirara marched up to Shippou and returned to her kitten form. He gathered her in his arms and stroked her fur. "You're amazing, Kirara…" He turned around and looked at the adults. "Your kids are back."

Children took off toward their families, crying and laughing just like the adults.

Kagome and her sister were in their parents' arms in a second. They held to them like there was no tomorrow. Her father glanced up at Shippou who just responded with a small smile.

"Well," He said after a moment. "I guess I should be on my way."

"What?" Kagome cried, running to him. "You're gonna leave so soon?"

He knelt down in front of her and tousled her hair. "Come on, little Kagome… You know I have to. I have to find my friends, right?"

She nodded. "I guess that's true… but…" She sniffled, tears streaming freshly down her face. "I… I'll miss you!" She threw her arms around him.

He rubbed her back hesitantly but gently. "Will you hope for me? I can't do it alone."

"Uh-uh-huh!" She nodded fiercely, "but only if you promise to come back!"

"I'll visit," He told her, smiling warmly. She looked up at him and smiled though still crying.

"Okay," She nodded. "Promise?" She held up her pinky.

He chuckled. "Promise," He replied, hooking his own pinky with hers and standing. "Goodbye, everyone."

She stared at him as he turned his back and headed towards the other side of the village, carrying the now sleeping Kirara.

As he disappeared from sight, Kagome's sister took her hand. "Who was that man, Kagome?"

"He's a hero… and a friend," She replied, still weeping a bit. "I love him."

"You're only a kid," Her sister laughed. "You don't know what love is."

"Do too!" She replied. "I have the same love for him that he has for the ones he's searching for. Sister… will you hope with me for him?"

She smiled. "Of course."

They clasped hands more tightly.

-

"Well, even though I got sidetracked, it definitely wasn't a loss," Shippou commented to Kirara. "Not only did I change some humans' bitter viewpoints on demons, but I got a jewel shard too!"

Kirara mewed, then closed her eyes again.

"Things aren't at the best, but it's definitely better than it's been in a long time… and… you're not listening to me. Forget it." He sighed. "Jeez… that little girl's made me miss people… I'm lonely again…"

He looked up to the sky and sighed again.

The path sure seemed long when there was no destination.

-

A few days passed with nothing eventful happening. Shippou soon found himself by a small freshwater stream, fishing for lunch.

Kirara watched the water.

"I've been getting these bad feelings lately," Shippou told her, sighing. "I'm a little worried, to be honest…"

-

Someone screamed from within a cell, his wrists pulling at the chains. He snarled and shouted over and over, miserably.

The movement stilled for a moment, but soon the noise continued.

A blank-eyed, familiar wolf demon walked up to the door and looked inside. His body stood there, but it was nothing more than a shell with black shards in his legs.

The man inside roared and bellowed at him, pulling on his restraints with all his force, but the wolf was unfazed, staring into nothing.

"Sounds like somebody's having a bad day," Kichibei said, approaching the wolf from the other side of the hall. "Jeez, how's a guy supposed to slack and do nothing around here with all that noise?"

Kouga just stared blankly.

"Go play with your toys, mind slave," Kichibei told him, shoving Kouga down the hall. "Jeez, he creeps me out…"

"Let… me… OUT!" The shouting man yelled gruffly, his worn out voice squeaking a bit on the last word.

"Ooh," Kichibei said, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "You're getting coherent. I better tell Master Naraku about that, eh?"

The man in the room growled.

"Please," Kichibei swung his hand at him. "You probably don't even remember what your name is by now, and if you're looking for some sympathetic sap to come let you out, then you've got the wrong guy, since I gave up my heart to Naraku to serve him, and that Kouga guy is Naraku's mind minion or something. Has something to do with the shards in his legs, I think, but yeah…" Kichibei leaned against the door and chewed on one of his claws. "As if you have any idea as to what I'm saying…"

After hearing no response after a few moments, Kichibei left the door and headed off down the hall. "Lord Naraku!" He called. "That chained guy is starting to be coherent again!"

"Is he?" Naraku's voice asked in interest from inside another room. "Well, then I'll have to take care of that now, won't I…?"

"If you wish it, sir, I'll do it," Kichibei said, bowing.

"No, that will be fine. Go… kill off some demons or something," Naraku said, exiting the room and passing him.

"I know just the one I want to kill too," Kichibei said, grinning maliciously.

-

Shippou sneezed.


	6. The Need to Be Stronger

Chapter 6: The Need to Be Stronger

Shippou sighed, kicking a pebble down the path. "I'm so bored," Shippou told Kirara who pranced along next to him, pawing at the pebble. "No offense, but it's easier to talk to someone who talks back…"

She growled at him.

"Just being honest," Shippou said sheepishly.

Kirara mewed, her ears perking up, then took off down the road.

"Hey, wait!" Shippou cried, chasing after her. "I didn't mean it, I swear! Please don't leave me! Please don't!…" He trailed off as he turned the corner, then backed up and peeked around.

"Ahahaha!" A young woman with long brown hair giggled, dancing around in her aqua kimono designed with pink flowers. "Sesshoumaru-sama!"

There he stood, his air of magnificence airing off of him only the way the Lord of the Western Lands could. He had his froglike sidekick stumbling along behind him, and young Rin, who was now up to his shoulder in height, yet still carrying the mindset of a child.

Shippou had only seen glances of Sesshoumaru once or twice since Inu Yasha and company vanished, and he'd never been so close.

_I guess my guard was down. I wasn't paying attention. MAN! If I hadn't been careful, he would have chopped me in half already! _Shippou thought, watching him.

Sesshoumaru paused in his step, then turned to look directly at the rock Shippou was hiding behind. "Do not hide from me," He said.

Shippou yelped, feeling a shiver run down his spine. _Oh, man! Busted!_

Shippou reluctantly stepped out from his hiding spot. "…Hey…" Shippou said nervously, lifting up his hand in a half wave.

Sesshoumaru eyed him suspiciously. "You are familiar to me."

_EEK!_ "R… really? Because I've NEVER seen you before!" Shippou laughed, horrified.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, this boy has a tail," Rin pointed out. In her years of adolescence, it seemed that she had failed to mature in a mindset beyond that of childish imagination. "He's a fox demon, isn't he?"

Sesshoumaru approached Shippou with an air of command that nailed Shippou to the ground.

"Ah, really," Shippou cried, wishing his feet would move. "I was just ah…"

Sesshoumaru grabbed Shippou by the hair and lifted the orange strands up in a ponytail behind his head. "I thought it was you," Sesshoumaru said with disgust. "You're that little fox that was always trailing behind that filthy half-demon brother of mine."

Shippou narrowed his eyes. "Inu Yasha deserves more respect than you give him. You talk about him like he is dirt under your feet, when he's beaten you or more than shown his abilities."

"You are fond of my brother," Sesshoumaru said, removing his hand. "So why do you travel alone?"

Shippou lowered his eyes, hands balling into fists.

"Did they abandon you?" Sesshoumaru asked, a slight bit of humor in his otherwise monotone voice.

"NO!" Shippou shouted. "They…"

It was then that Sesshoumaru took notice of Tetsusaiga in Shippou's belt. "Interesting that you would carry that blade with you… Why is it that you are allowed to touch it?"

"I don't know… it just let me… It's none of your business anyways!"

Sesshoumaru's face didn't change. "I can't help but wonder if I should dispose of you now and take Tetsusaiga for my own or wait until it is returned to Inu Yasha and I at least face a halfway-worthy opponent."

Shippou took the insult to his pride with a stony face, though inside he felt himself crumbling. "Should you… should you wish to face Inu Yasha again… you'll have to help me destroy Naraku."

Sesshoumaru smirked ever so slightly. "Help you? I will take care of Naraku on my own. Stay out of the way. You are nothing but a burden."

"…you're wrong…"

"Am I? I can think not of one fox demon known for its abilities to slay demons. If you cannot even face me without trembling with fear, then you can never come close to defeating Naraku. You are not even worthy of my killing. Return to that human village you live at, and leave Naraku to me."

"Lord Sesshoumaru," Jaken and Rin both said at the same time.

"Let us go," Sesshoumaru said, turning and walking away. Rin turned and looked back at Shippou until they were out of sight from each other.

The fringe of Shippou's bangs fell over his eyes, and he dropped to his knees, shaking.

Kirara mewed, nuzzling his arm a bit.

Shippou moved his hand to his eyes and wiped them with his sleeve. His sniffled, staring at the blurry ground. "…I hate this… I hate it… because… he's right…"

He collapsed to the ground, sobbing into his arms. "Who am I kidding! How will I ever save Inu Yasha and my friends… if I can't even save myself!!…."

-

After his breakdown, Shippou had silently dragged himself to a nearby cave and made camp at the mouth of it.

Staring into the fire, he sighed. _I'm pathetic…Should I really just go back?… No…I can't…I'd be letting them all down…Turning back is not an option… there is only one solution…_He pounded a fist into his other hand. _I have to get stronger._

Kirara looked up at him, then closed her eyes and laid her head back down.

"I'm not gonna let him get me down, Kirara," Shippou told her, getting to his feet. "I'm going to show him what I'm made of! He said that he can't think of a fox demon that's known for his or her abilities, then I'll be the first!"

Kirara mewed, rolling over on her back.

"Crying is useless. Inu Yasha wouldn't have done it, so I won't either."

-

The next morning, Shippou was up by dawn, practicing his skills on the scenery around him.

By the time the sun had come over the hills, he was shirtless and soaked with sweat. He concentrated on using his fox-fire with his claws to slash down objects with his own versions of Inu Yasha's attacks. He also worked with his magic, conjuring up items from other items that could be used to defend himself.

He swung around a sword he had magically created from a stick with accurate precision, cutting down his imaginary enemies with ease.

The bushes nearby rustled.

Shippou, too captivated in his illusion, failed to notice. He swung down his blade, then twisted and stabbed the air with it.

"HYAAAH!!!"

"Eh?" Shippou blinked, just before he was tackled, his sword returning to its original form as it slid across the ground.

"I've got you! I've got you!"

"Ow! Ow!" Shippou cried, feeling hands yanking on his hair. "Ow! What the hell?!"

Kirara hissed from her spot on a rock nearby and changed form.

Shippou managed to break loose of the grasp and turn himself around, though he was still being sat on. "Who--"

"Eh?! You're not…"

Shippou blinked. "A girl!"

She was tall and lanky, dressed in layer upon layer of yellow, black, and mainly red. She wore a golden obi over her several robes, and her feet were covered by black slip-on shoes.

Shippou pushed her off, and they both got to their feet.

The girl had long black hair hanging on each side of her face, red beads hanging off the bottom of the strands. The rest of her hair was pulled back on the top of her head with a golden ribbon. Her eyes were slanted and bright red, and pointed ears peeked out from behind her hair. Fangs protruded from her lips.

The two stared at each other for a moment, and then Shippou so-sweetly asked…

"WHY THE HELL'D YOU JUMP ME FOR?!"

"I thought you were someone else!" She yelled.

"What the hell?! You're supposed to double check before you do something like that!"

Shippou grabbed his kimono and pulled it back on, loosening his belt and tucking it back into his pants.

"I… I'm sorry… I caught onto the slightest scent and I pounced… Y… You should have been able to stop me, Mr. Tough Guy!"

"Who did you think I was?" Shippou growled, rubbing his head. "What makes you think you can stop someone by pulling their hair?!"

"It's none of your business," She grumbled.

"I would think it IS, since you ATTACKED me," Shippou spat back.

She glared at him, while he turned his back, picking up Tetsusaiga and sliding it into his belt.

"I-" She began.

"Who are you?" Shippou said, turning to her, eyes fiery.

"I… My name is Himiko," She grumbled.

"Well, thank you, Himiko, for ruining my training."

She turned to leave.

"You might as well join me for breakfast…"

She looked back at him.

-

Shippou removed the fish from the fire and handed one to Himiko, then laid one down for Kirara. He pulled out his own fish and took a bite out of it.

"You cooked three… did you know I was there?" Himiko asked.

"No, I usually eat a couple of them," He replied. "Just eat it."

"Why… why'd you invite me to breakfast after I attacked you, anyway?"

"Because… I know it's what my friends would have done if they were with me."

"Your friends? Did they die?"

"Hope not," Shippou gnawed on his fist.

"Where are they? Who are they?"

"That's _none of your business_," Shippou replied bitterly, throwing her words back at her.

She munched on her fish for a few moments, and Shippou couldn't help but notice how dignified she ate it.

"So… you looking for this guy you thought I was?"

"Yeah. I'm on a quest of revenge."

"Revenge? Isn't it better to forgive and forget?"

"Not for this," She replied. "I'm not the toughest, I guess… but I'm ready to get revenge, and I'm ready to get stronger."

"Can you fight?"

"I'm a demon, so of course I can."

"Magic?"

"I might be able to do a little…"

Shippou finished his fish, then sighed. "Well, I'll let you carry on, now that I know you can take care of yourself… I'm off on my own quest."

"What quest is that?" She asked.

"To rescue some close comrades and defeat Naraku."

She nearly choked. "NARAKU?!"

"You know him?" He asked, uninterested.

"Of course. I know where he is."

Now it was Shippou's turn to be surprised. "You… you do?!"

"Yeah."

"You… You have to take me to him!" Shippou cried, grabbing her shoulders.

"Why should I?"

"If you do, I'll help you get stronger so you can carry out your revenge," Shippou bargained. "Hell, I'll even help you carry it out."

They stared each other down for a few minutes, and Kirara watched them curiously.

"…Fine…" Himiko finally said hesitantly, holding out her hand. "You've got a deal, but you better not run out on me once all this is over. I expect you to keep your promise."

Shippou shook her hand. "You can count on me. I never… break a promise…"

(A/N: Before you start shouting "MARY SUE!" I need to promise you right now that Himiko is not Shippou's love interest. Just thought I'd make that clear before you flame me for mary sueing. Happy Holidays, everyone!)


End file.
